The present invention relates to telecommunications networks and, more particularly, to a method of providing operational support in a synchronous optical network.
Modern telecommunications networks are evolving. There is a shift from asynchronous communications networks to synchronous communications networks. The advent of optical transport as a transmission technique has given rise to a set of standards for a synchronous optical network ("SONET") in the United States and in Europe. The United States standards are found in ANSI T1.105, ANSI T1.106 and ANSI T1.107; the European standards are found in the SDH standard established by ITU-T. In these optical networks, SONET network elements ("SNE's") exchange data over interconnecting optical cable. Synchronization of each SNE is maintained by a timing signal generator ("TSG") and related peripheral equipment. The TSG establishes a timing reference, either through GPS equipment incorporated into the TSG or by derivation from the SNE's optical transport.
Both SNE's and TSG's must be monitored, maintained and configured by a network administrator, such as a Operation Support System ("OSS"). Although the SONET standard dedicates bandwidth to provide for OSS messaging to the SNE's, no such accommodations are made for TSG's or the other peripheral equipment.
Accordingly there is a need in the art for a means for providing communication between a TSG and an OSS in a SONET network.